


Man On The Inside

by happygolovely



Series: Love On The Run [1]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Deception, Developing Relationship, Emotional Manipulation, Gangsters, Isolation, M/M, Season/Series 01, Summer of Gotham, The GCPD Is Not The Ideal Work Environment, informants, season one AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-23 14:05:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14935718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happygolovely/pseuds/happygolovely
Summary: Ed catches the eye of the most dangerous man in the city and a gangster makes an indecent proposal.





	Man On The Inside

There were two things Ed Nygma loved more than anything: the thrill of the chase and the high of the solve. No more than that he loved dangling the answer in front of unseeing eyes and watching them desperately reach out in all the wrong directions. Looking for lucidity in all the wrong places. His work at the GCPD afforded him amble access to such joys as well as any number of medical equipment and a gun range. He didn’t have any purpose for the last two as of yet but it was good to keep your options open. 

 

With that in mind, he made no commitments either socially or professionally. It could be argued that he  _ attempted  _ to make connections with his colleagues (most notably Miss Kringle) and was summarily rejected but Ed Nygma never failed where he wished to succeed - thus he decided his isolation must be a choice long after that choice had already been made for him. 

 

It didn’t bother him very much except when it did which was frequently. Still, he bustled along as best he could and tried to ignore the hollowness within his bones. Isolation was a form of blunt force trauma, self-inflicted on a daily basis. Any day now the fractures in his skull would crack. 

 

As he walked home from work, he stepped in every puddle along the way. Rain soaking in through his shoes, pressing up inside his coat. It didn’t feel good but it felt like something and that was better than the sum of nothing he was used to feeling. He’d always liked the rain. 

 

As he passed through the alleyway of the station, he saw the outline of an umbrella against the sky and the flicker of a cigarette lighter. The owner wasn’t having much luck. 

 

Ed stopped and pressed his head under the canopy, snagging the lighter out of their hands. 

“Can I lend you a hand?” 

 

The man scowled and pushed his head out from under the umbrella. “You can give back what’s mine is what you can do.”  

Ed wasn’t listening, too busy plucking a cigarette case out of the man’s pocket and lighting the cigarette, shielding it from the rain under his hand. He passed it back to him with a small smile. 

 

“There you are, right as rain. Enjoy your cancerous pastime. Good night.”  

 

He started to walk off and the man’s hand shot out and pulled him back under. The dark of the fabric enveloping and shielding him from the elements. Ed looked down into the brightest, coldest eyes he had ever seen. Liquid nitrogen had never looked so inviting. 

 

“Oswald Cobblepot, pleasure to make your acquaintance.”  

 

“My name is -”  

 

The man chuckled and waved him off. “Oh, I know very well who you are. Top of your class at Gotham University, graduated early by two years, with multiple degrees and multiple academic censures for excessive -” He pulled a file out from under his coat. “Experimentation. Funny. I always thought higher education was supposed to encourage that sort of thing.”  

 

Ed shuffled his feet in embarrassment. “I blew up the science lab one time too many.”  

 

Oswald laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “Nothing wrong with a bit of enthusiasm as long as it properly applied in the right direction. Now speaking of directions, don’t tell me you’re walking home like this?”  

 

“My car is in the shop. And if you are offering me a ride home don’t. I’m not about to get in the car with a strange man with files on me.”

 

“More’s the pity. In that case, may I walk you home?” He waved the umbrella pointedly a few flickers of water hitting Ed’s neck. “Unless you’d prefer to whether this weather all on your lonesome.”  

 

Ed’s eyes flickered up just as the rainfall poured down, he instinctively huddled in closer. “Very well but you’re telling me about that file of yours.”  

 

Oswald handed it to him easy as can be. “What’s mine is yours: knowledge, power. Whatever you like. And if you’ll listen to my proposal I’m sure you’ll find it agreeable.”  

 

Ed nodded, quickly, ears pricked up at the sound of thunder on the horizon. “Better talk fast and walk faster. I’d like to get home at a reasonable hour.”  

 

They shuffled off into the storm, pressed close together to avoid the wind biting at their heels. 

 

“I’m a member of an organization you might be familiar with. My patron is Don Falcone.” 

 

“A gangster.”  

 

Oswald inclined his head in acknowledgment. “A community leader.”  

 

Ed had to laugh at the notion that this city had any sense of community. After a moment Oswald joined him. “Is he looking for volunteers to help with local bake sale perhaps?”  

 

Oswald swatted his arm in admonishment, a smile tugging at the edge of his mouth. “In a manner of speaking. Edward, you’ve been selected for a rather prestigious role in our program. We’d like you to become a member voluntarily although we’re not above other methods.” 

 

“What exactly would this role entail?” 

 

“We’d like you to become our eyes and ears on the ground floor. We have plenty of other informants of course but I had a feeling that you’d see things the others didn’t. You strike us as a particularly perceptive man. We’ve had our eyes on you for some time now.” 

 

Ed felt immensely flattered and immensely suspicious all at once. He had no idea why he was of interest to a criminal enterprise although he must admit he found it slightly intriguing. And more than a little nice to be appreciated for once.  

 

“That is...very gratifying, Mister Cobblepot but I’m afraid I have no interest in your company. Thank you for the offer but I’m happy where I am.” 

 

Oswald tilted his head in consideration. “Are you really? When is the last time you were truly happy?” Ed opened his mouth to protest and Oswald silenced him with a wave of his hand. “Take your time and consider all that we can do for each other.” He slid a business card into the front pocket of Ed’s coat with a firm, lingering press of the hand. “I look forward to your call.”  

  
  


The file they had gathered on him was quite extensive although thankfully limited to his Gotham years with little mention of his childhood. Although Ed suspected that section had been purposely omitted for his own comfort. He very much doubted they didn’t know everything there was to know on him. He turned the page to the psychological profile and quickly scanned their interpretation. Inaccurate but no more so than any previous diagnosis. 

 

The idea that he could be limited by anything as finite and familiar as a diagnosis was antithetical to him. He was never quite that simple, never so easily categorized. 

 

At the back of the file was a packet outlining the benefits of joining the family.

Apparently, they covered dental which was more than he could say for the GCPD. 

 

He carried Cobblepot’s business card with him everywhere and it burned a hole through his pocket, hot to the touch and entirely too tempting. He sat in the morgue and pulled it out of his lab coat, checking that the coast was clear before running his hands over the fluorescent purple ink. The ubiquitous umbrella once more. The number at the bottom taunted him. 

 

Would it really be so bad - to be in the pocket of such a man? He certainly seemed more attentive than his current employers and he’d hardly be the first person at the GCPD to do side work. If anything this would be the one thing he had in common with his colleagues. 

 

Although he would hardly let them know he was among them. No that would be the most fun of all to work with them and against them simultaneously, to never let them know where his loyalties lied. To lie over and over and over again until it became so intricate and convoluted no  one could possibly follow the strings back to himself. He’d play their game and play it well and when it was over he’d turn over everything he learned to the authorities. 

 

He’d take down a crime lord and finally get the recognition he deserved.  

 

His fingers twitched in anticipation and he longed to reach for the phone. Not yet. 

He’d wait him out. Musn’t appear too eager to please. 

 

It appeared he was the only one with any compunctions about that.  

 

On Friday morning, he opened up the door to the morgue to find it full to the brim with umbrellas dangling from the ceiling and a single card on top of the examination table. 

 

He quickly pulled them down and stuffed them inside a drawer along with a forgotten corpse. 

It seems gangsters didn’t know the meaning of patience. He opened up the card with trembling hands - Excruciating? Exciting? Difficult to say. - greeted by long, looping calligraphy. 

 

_ Dinner for two. Tonight. Don’t keep me waiting.  _

 

No address, no time. No say in the matter whatsoever. 

 

Extremely dangerous, possibly deadly. Incredibly presumptuous.  

 

Entirely too compelling to ignore.  

 

Ed hovered on edge for the rest of the day, one ear open and eyes wide. Covert operations didn’t suit him very well it seems, that didn’t pose well for future plans. 

 

By the end of the day, he had straightened his glasses fourteen (14) times, adjusted his hair, switched out his tie for the backup in his locker and mourned the death of his social life if this was the highlight of his week.  

 

By six, he had finished up. By seven, he was ready and by eight he had given it up as a lost cause. If Cobblepot wanted to find him he could find him at home. As he walked he scanned the letter yet again and found no trace of braille or any other form of code. He had already run it for invisible ink in the lab and came up flat. An empty threat? A thoughtless gesture? 

 

As he walked down the corridor he found his apartment door wide open. Retaliation then. 

He poked his head cautiously around the corner. 

 

“Good evening, Mister Nygma. Thank you for joining me on such short notice.”

 

Oswald sat in his kitchen nook pouring himself a glass of wine looking for all the world like he belonged there and had in fact been sitting there for years. Black suit, red scarf. White wine. 

 

A single candle at the center of the table and a cane at his feet beside the umbrella. 

 

Ed hung up his coat and quickly rushed over, nearly knocking into the table in his haste. 

 

Oswald barely contained a laugh before he stood up and pulled out Ed’s seat for him. Very much the host, very much at home in someone else’s home. 

 

“Apologies for the delay - I hadn’t realized - you never mentioned - I thought there would be a restaurant. A bar. Some sort of club perhaps.”  

 

Oswald patted his hand, kind, and kind of condescending. “Best leave the thinking to me, now I trust you’ve brought dinner?”  

 

Ed shook his head. Oswald sighed. 

 

“That’s very disappointing. I was looking forward to sharing a meal together.”  

 

Ed shrunk in on himself. “I’m, I’m sorry I’ll make it up to you - I can make something.”  

 

Oswald sat back in his chair as if it were a great burden and carelessly waved his hand. “Fine.” 

 

He looked through his kitchen and found it fully stocked. He didn’t remember buying any of these things. He looked back over his shoulder and found Oswald entirely focused on him. 

Well, at least he could be assured that everything was to his tastes at least. 

 

As he prepared their dinner, he looked periodically over his shoulder unused to such attention.  

Oswald asked him about his day, his hobbies, his casework. Prodding for information of course but still, it was more conversation than he had had in some time.  

 

By the time he had finished, he was sure they had exhausted all topics of conversation but apparently not. Oswald cut into his salmon and looked at him over the edge of his glass. 

 

“I’m making you uncomfortable. Is it the attention, the intrusion on your space or the fact that I work for the most dangerous man in all of Gotham?”  

 

“I think it’s more accurate to say the most dangerous man in all of Gotham works for you. Even if he’s not yet aware of it.”     
  


Oswald tried very hard not to laugh at that. If anyone else had said such a thing he would have cut their throat immediately. They would have reported him to Falcone just as soon. Ed didn’t because Ed truly didn’t care who ran the city as long as he could run his lab results in peace.  As long as you were kind to him.

It was that simplicity of purpose that made him so immensely relieving compared to all the duplicitous double crossers he was used to dining with. 

 

Still, he had to know. He leaned in across the table, candlelight reflecting off the side of Ed’s glasses and catching the glint of mischief behind them. “What if I were to tell you that the danger was sitting next to you all this time? Would that frighten you?”  

 

Ed raised an eyebrow and then raised his drink. “To new avenues of opportunity. To terror.” 

 

“To us.” Oswald clinked their glasses together and they smiled at each other, giddy and gory and glorious all at once. Ed could see his future spreading out before him and it was an awful, beautiful thing. He grabbed Oswald’s hand, surprised to find it warmer than he had anticipated. 

 

“Why me? You could - the Don has almost the whole force on retainer, he hardly needs another lackey and I’m not well positioned enough to count for much of anything. So why me?” 

 

Oswald looked down at their hands linked together. “Truthfully? You weren’t the Don’s selection, you were mine. I see something in you. Something very much like myself. They don’t appreciate you, they undermine and belittle you at every turn and you are constantly passed up in favor of your lessers. Correct?”  

 

“Disturbingly so.”  

 

Oswald nodded, not much surprised. “I was once the same. You are a resource to be cultivated not carelessly discarded. And if you were my resource -” Oswald squeezed his hand, surprised to find them still entwined but not opposed. Very much not opposed. “Rest assured you’d be well compensated and looked after. I protect what’s mine, after all.”  

 

Ed carefully didn’t look into that statement too closely for fear of what he would find. 

Not entirely sure what he was looking for in the first place. He broke the touch and picked up their plates bringing them over to the sink and running his hands under the water. It didn’t erase the touch and he felt foolish for even trying. 

 

“I will..I’ll take the matter under consideration.”  

 

Oswald smiled and turned his umbrella sharply, snapping it closed. “That’s all I ask. You are of course perfectly within your rights to refuse.” 

 

“You’ll simply make the alternative so unpleasant that it becomes the only viable option.” 

 

“The choice is yours entirely, I’m merely advocating for the one in your best interests.”  

 

“And your own.”  

 

Oswald didn’t bother to deny it. “I’m a selfish man. I see a diamond in the gutter I pick it up.”  

 

“And what will your employer think of your latest gem? What will mine?”  

  
“Who says we have to tell them?”

 

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: happygoloony


End file.
